The Case of the Missing Blueberries
by hermione-of-vulcan
Summary: Tony Stark calls Sherlock Holmes in on a case. Pepper thinks Tony's full of himself. Feedback is welcome - this is my first attempt at the Avengers-verse and I don't write Sherlock that much either.


"Mr. Stark, _what_ did you say was stolen?" John asked.

"Blueberries," Tony said, leaning back in the chair and crossing his legs. He turned to Sherlock. "And I want _you_ to track down the thief. You can do that, right?"

The detective was looking at his phone, muttering something. John suspected he though Tony Stark's case was dull and pointless, which John agreed with.

"Can you?" Tony prompted, then turned to his assistant. "Pepper, he's ignoring me. Why is he ignoring me?"

Pepper sighed. "Because he's a famous detective probably in town for a vacation and you hired him to find blueberries?"

"It was my last bag!" Tony defended. "Stolen right out of my pocket!"

Pepper facepalmed as Sherlock continued to ignore Tony. John decided to take a stab.

"Perhaps they just fell out, Mr. Stark," John said.

"No, no," Tony said, shaking his head. "I always keep one hand on my pocket when I have blueberries in there."

"And yet you didn't feel the thief's hand?" Sherlock said, speaking for the first time.

"If I did, I wouldn't have called you. So -"

"What were the circumstances of the theft?" Sherlock asked. "Is there a recording? Which pocket were they in?"

John blinked. "Sherlock, you're not actually taking this seriously? I mean," he glanced at Tony, who looked offended, "Normally you get excited about murders, not blueberries!"

"John, this isn't about blueberries, this is about a pickpocket so talented they can steal blueberries from under a man's fingers!" Sherlock said. He was starting to get excited. "This could just be the beginning!"

"Now you're talking!" Tony said, as Pepper sighed again. He ignored her and jumped to his feet. "Follow me, I'll show you the evidence."

He got up and tapped at a keypad, which opened the door to another room. Sherlock, John, and Pepper followed him in. Pepper, John noticed, hadn't taken her face out of her hand since she'd put it there in the first place. John sympathized.

"JARVIS, pull up the video of yesterday's press conference," Tony said, and a computer hummed to life on multiple screens, glowing futuristic displays. The screen closest to Tony loaded a video and began playing.

Sherlock moved over next to Tony to watch it and John stood next to Pepper. While she'd dropped her hand, she continued to display the same irritation through her facial expression. John recognized the look – it was the look one got after living around a crazy person for a long time, where you still desperately hope to change them.

Sherlock pressed up closer to the screen, scanning it with a gaze usually reserved for murder scenes.

"JARVIS, maybe we can zoom in a little, so Mr. Holmes here can see my face better." He grinned and ran a finger down his jawline.

Pepper rolled her eyes.

"Is he always like this?" John whispered.

"Narcissistic and insufferable? Yes," Pepper replied.

"Mine too," John said.

She smiled, then frowned as Sherlock began jabbing at the screen, highlighting faces. "Our suspects."

JARVIS started reading off names of reporters and camera people as the facial recognition identified them.

"…Pepper Potts…" JARVIS read.

"Pepper! You're a suspect?"

Pepper didn't answer as Sherlock suddenly switched topics. "Do you have the jacket you were wearing?"

"Yes, somewhere…"

"Put it on."

Tony raised his eyebrows. "I'm sorry?" He shot Pepper a look like "how dare he give me orders!".

She responded with a look that clearly said "You invited him, he's your problem."

John chuckled under his breath. Tony sighed and got the jacket. He put it on and pointed to the right hand pocket.

"This is where I had the blueberries," he said. He rocked back and forth on his feet, as if this whole taking orders thing was new to him. John supposed it was – he was, after all, the CEO of a major company.

Sherlock immediately began circling him, close enough that their jackets brushed. As he passed, he stuck his hand in Tony's pocket.

"Hey!" Tony protested, lifting his hands up.

Sherlock paid him no attention and switched direction, again thrusting his hand into the pocket.

"Hey!" Tony repeated, and moved away, but luckily for him Sherlock was already striding purposefully towards Pepper and John. He pulled a small rubber ball out of his pocket and tossed it at Pepper.

She caught it and raised her eyebrows. "What - "

"Here is your culprit," Sherlock said, pointing at her.

Tony's jaw dropped. "How dare you accuse an innocent woman! You wouldn't do this, right Pepper?"

She opened her mouth, but Sherlock spoke first. "She was with you at the crime scene - " Pepper snorted at his word choice "- and was close enough to reach your pocket and is right handed. You are clearly a couple, so you wouldn't suspect anything if she touched your hand -"

"Wait, how do you - " Tony began.

"It's obvious, I'm sure even John noticed. But while she does care about you to some degree, she has also worked for you for a long time and occasionally finds you arrogant and insufferable. Being in a subordinate position, she must resort to underhanded methods to disadvantage you, such as stealing something you care about." He paused. "If she does decide to take to a life of crime, do let me know." He turned towards the door with a swish of his jacket. "Come along, John, I'm sure there are more interesting cases in this city."

"What?!" Tony sputtered. "Pepper, is he telling the truth?"

She nodded. "Yes. You were being such a child about them I had to take them away. Obviously, that backfired."

"Okay, sorry. Now give them back."

She shook her head. "That's not possible. I ate them."

"I thought you were allergic – no, that's strawberries," Tony fumbled.

"Seriously? You can't remember even now?"

"Sorry!"

"John?" Sherlock poked his head back into the room. "Are you coming?"

"Right!" John said, and he ran out, leaving the bickering couple alone.


End file.
